Magpies Pondering Bid For Macedonian International Midfielder

Newcastle seem to be spreading their wings in the transfer market following the developments of last Monday – first of all the Arsenal bid for Yohan Cabaye, who we think will end up at PSG, and then our rather pathetic performance at Manchester City where it seemed we didn’t belong on the same pitch as the very slick passing Manchester City side – they were in a different class – and it was a difficult game for Newcastle fans to watch – not a good start to the season.

Agim Ibraimi – 24 year-old Macedonian International attacking midfielder
Newcastle will need to bring in a playmaker if we lose Cabaye, which now seems likely, and Newcastle had scouts in the Czech Republic last night to watch Maribor winger Agim Ibraimi in the Slovenian club’s game against Viktoria Plezen, which Maribor lost 3-1 in the Champions League qualifying game.

It seems that Newcastle are interested in the Yugoslavia born attacking midfielder who truns 25 next week and is rated at around £3M, but it’s a huge jump in class from playing in the Slovenian PrvaLiga to the English Premier League.

We haven’t seen this player so it’s hard to judge how good he is but we suppose the £3M fee is low enough that we could afford it for a player who can also play as a second striker – and maybe he could be a gem that Graham Carr has found?.

The attacking midfielder has played for six different clubs in the last seven years and has represented Macedonia 21 times with 5 goals and moved to Maribor from Nafta Lendava two years ago on a three year deal, and we suppose Graham Carr has been keeping tabs on him.

Here’s some video of the player playing against England last year in Japan, and there is plenty of video on him on YouTube.

393 responses so far ↓

We can sign Messi, Ronaldo and Bale and we would still be s—e under Pardew. We do need players but we need a manager who can motivate and is tactically aware, much more. A decent manager would get much better performances and results from the current crop of players.

t’s a bit different to the days where kk would sell a Andy Cole and explain himself on the steps because he loved the fans and wanted to reassure them that the money would be spent and more besides . Everything just seems so hollow and heartless nowadays identity seems to have gone we need more people at the club that care more than they do about their own wage packet

Sorry but I would rather we kept Cabaye a signed ONE player. It is madness and I am totally gutted. However players like Cabaye need CL Football at an ambitious club and NUFC can not offer either with this eejit running OUR club. (Repost)

Repost…
@matty haha, no I normally dont believe anything I read cause it just gets my hope up. The reason why i didnt think it was trustworthy is cause pretty much there whole article was like 2 sentences and had no source, names, postions or even clubs. So It seemed kind of random, hope it is right tho

@Cadette i just said that -_- lol all 4 were spotted at Nice airport (photo taken). Only AP was spotted at Lyon.

I never heard about those recent offers tbh.
they probably did not make serious offer since we were so bad last season and probably didn’t have enough resources to buy at the price Ashley paid for this club.
Like I said someone with real money , someone who has the resources to make genuine offer that Ashley hard to refuse.

If we sell cabaye to PSG we need to get sakho and menez in as part of the deal, to kill two birds with one stone as they say. If we sell him to Arsenal we need to fleece them for as much money as possible as it’s strengthening another PL team.
If he is sold we need another centre mid on top of the winger and striker we need already.

Anyone else worried that the majority will accept selling Cabaye and bringing in 2 or 3 as a successful transfer window ( if the money spent is less than what Cabaye was sold for) .

That would be a disaster for me, we need to keep this Ashley focused hate alive and turn it into something meaningful. Selling Cabaye would be fine if we actually spent that entire money and more like we should have weeks ago! I for one will not accept it and it will make no difference to my stance whatever happens in these last 2 weeks of the Window.

Beattie – I didn’t realise that you lived in Burnley. I worked there for several years in the 80’s and lived in Nelson. I went to Turf Moor a couple of times when they were playing the Toon and can understand why you don’t support Burnley

All the scouting should of been done in the 2nd half of last season but we pissed about with the whole Kinnear, Llambias scenario that we stood still in the transfer market while the likes of Southampton, Cardiff, Swansea, Norwich have all been improving their squads.

Anzhi want to sell all their top players. Why not try for Lacina Traoré

The thing is, even if Cabaye we’re to stay, which seems increasingly unlikely, we still need something in between him and Cisse.

Cabaye is excellent in the deep-lying role spraying passes about but when we play only one up top it results in balls sailing over his head for him to chase. We need a technically gifted attacking midfielder to sit in between who can receive from the deeper midfielders and have the ability to link up with the lone forward or run with it himself. I would say Ben Arfa fits that mold but he’s too greedy and I’d much rather see him terrorizing full backs and cutting inside to score goals. Gourcuff would be perfect but it’s huge a long shot.

The most logical football club would look at this situation and go 1 of 2 ways.

They would see that Cabaye is, on his day, one of our finest players and the creative heartbeat of our central midfield. They would understand how vital it is for him to say, not only for his ability, but for his qualities as a person that has attracted so many players to this club. The divide and unrest it could cause in the dressing room should he leave would not be worth the money we could make and so in order to convince him to stay we offer a new contract to him and show our ambition by spending half of the TV money on new talent to strengthen the squad and give ourselves a fighting chance at aiming for Europe.

Or

Much like Tottenham are doing we make plans for if Cabaye leaves. We strengthen the team as much as possible and flesh out areas considered to be weak. We then sign competition for his place should he decided to leave, and leave absolutely nothing to chance. This not only shows Cabaye he isn’t the only option we have at the club but it also gives the dressing room a lift seeing the club push forwards.

I sometimes think that part of the divide on opinion on here is between those who support free-market economics of the kind represented by Ashley and those who don’t.
Newcastle is a long way north, and the north is different. The south has generally done far better from free-market economics than the north has, and it is much more accepted as being a generally beneficial fact-of-life down there than it is up here.
Therefore there is a difference in culture and outlook.
I sometimes get annoyed by the “there is no other way” assumptions of some of Ashley’s southern-based supporters. I accept it is no less a prejudice than their own certainties.
I just hope they can try to understand some of our frustration at being regarded as “the desolate north”, as Lord Howells called it, and being used as a laboratory for free-market experiments predicated on the notion that we are a bit thick and inured to ill-treatment and second-rate service.

Thing is I could not see Pardew riping in to a senior player, so I would have no fear if I were playing, he has not got the balls for it, ive heard hes had a pop at younger players a few times though, this is were JK would have more authority because the one thing the fella has is a big set of plums, he would tell any player he wasn’t happy if they were not doing the biz, I cannot stand AP and it is desperate but I would genuinely have JK over AP as manager, that’s how poor I think AP is.

I can imagine a conversation between Pards, Ash and Joe after Monday’s game:

Ash: ‘So Alan, what went wrong?’
Pards: ‘Well Boss, we had them on the ropes but when we woz reduced to 10 it was hard.’
Joe: ‘Well I thought he woz an example of English passion, we need more lads like Steven.’
(Puts £2m bid in for Tumkins)
Ash: ‘See if you can get him in for under 3 Joe, and i’ll get the drinks in down the Orange Tree.’

If carr is watching players from lyon to replace cabaye (gourcoff) then he should be looking at Clement Grenier. Top class young midfielder. but also an Arsenal target so we would prob not get him, but worth a try:)

If that guy is a fan I’m ashamed he’s gone and been all pally with them. If it were me I’d march up to them, tell them how we feel and then leave. That should hit home to them how much animosity we feel towards the whole regime.

Beattie @11 – It was my first job (for Lucas) after leaving University – I eventually managed to find a job back in the North East and escaped. I always found the North West to be very similar to the North East – very friendly.

B&B, yep another nice post. Even just recently when JFK kept refering to us as “those up there” and such like really makes me cringe and that I guess where this cockney mafia comes in except it’s difficult to actually find a cockney at the club unless we’re playing Man U I suppose

Ruddy, of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter where they come from. That doesn’t need to be said because no one ever questions it.

You’re entitled to criticise people who would rather go to SJP than boycott it. I’m not questioning anyone’s support for the club. There is no measure of love. However, I do think the idea of a boycott appeals more to those who are not Geordies or who are armchair fans for whatever reason. Don’t get paranoid or feel victimised because someone says you’re not a Geordie.

I ask these simple questions, how strong is your allegiance to your local club? Is it stronger than your allegiance to NUFC? If not, why not?

I usually post and then have to log straight off, and so I guess I gave the impression that don’t respond.
It’s beyond time that I said that I’m glad to see you back with your wonderful, lucid posts. It is always sad to see your heart-on-your sleeve pleading for the good of this club dismissed as Mackem whingeing, usually by pharisees who’s only aim in posting is to say “look how good a fan I am.”

Even without Cabaye on Monday we should have still put up more of a fight against City, and it is Pardews job to get the lads fired up for the game.

Didn’t he say we were going to be more aggressive this season and that we would attack City ? , I have seen Wigan & Southampton put up more of a fight . He is the master politician, saying whatever he can to make himself look better.

I bet secretly he was loving that Cabaye wasn’t playing the other night so he had his excuse ready before kick off. Pardew has no balls and will never win anything with his negative tactics, Anita & Marv still can’t get a game despite a crisis .

Pardew could take The German national team to the Etihad and get them to concede at least 3 goals FFS .

Alan – I’m sorry, but you are either a liar or you are deluded to the point of insanity
There is something else we Magpies fans have become wearily familiar with – complete disbelief and stupefaction at Alan Pardew’s total lack of a grip on reality in his post-match assessment of games.

Speaking from his own parallel universe, the Silver Supremo said the team ‘gave a good account of ourselves in the first half’ claiming it was Taylor’s sending off just before half time which ‘made it a difficult night’.

This was despite the fact that we were already 2-0 down at that point – a scoreline which was also flattering to Pardew’s Magpies at the halfway point.

Pardew – is he deluded to the point of insanity?The scene of Monday evening’s carnage
Everyone else – even the most partisan fan – could see that we had been ripped apart from the moment the referee blew his whistle.

As if this this wasn’t enough, when the interviewer asked later in the interview what his priorities had to be between the interview and his game with West Ham on Saturday, Pardew bizarrely responded: ‘I don’t think we had too much to be concerned about tonight.’

Alan – I’m sorry, but you are either a liar or you are deluded to the point of insanity if you didn’t see anything to worry about in our performance.

Finally, never missing any opportunity to use events surrounding him and the team as an excuse for poor performances, he also wasted no time in using the aforementioned Cabaye imbroglio, saying: ‘I don’t think the result would’ve been the same had he played.’

Am gettin worried about the amount of French players we’re goin to have if we get gomis and gourcuff,thauvin our full fcukin squad will be near enough french and the ones we,ve brought in so
far haven’t made much difference,I think uv got to have a base or spine of British players in your team that can learn the foreign boys what the leagues all about.

Debuchy just looks really slow, like he’s constantly over stretching to get to the ball. His reactions were awful. I’m hoping it’s a confidence issue like with the rest of the lads but he looked a shadow of what I expected.

Blackley and Brownlie, I have been a season ticket holder for 15 years, I also went to every away game during that time….not this season though. I’m sick of paying money and not seeing a return on what I would say is an investment into the club, for that investment I expect…..good football to watch, not hoof ball, players being bought with ticket/merchandising sales (none of this is happening). So why should I carry on paying for something that I’m not happy about? People that don’t live in the North East have just as much right as someone like me to call for boycotting games, we have all spent money on our once great football club through buying merchandise, more important than the money we have spent is the TIME we give to our club….but don’t for one second think that you are not supporting the regime by going to the games.

Santon, I like your posts but we can’t find a buyer when the owner isn’t willing to sell. We are a marketing tool for Sports Direct, why would Ashley want to sell? even bad press for the club brings more free advertising to his only love….Sports Direct.

Some fans on here seem to think that it’s best not to get a new owner because we don’t know what that person will be like, better or worse than Ashley it’s a gamble…..but yet you still go to the games knowing fine well that rubbish will be served up with constant hoof ball. I’d rather try than to sit back and be scared of the unknown.

the ONLY reason he got into the french euro squad was because 1st (sagna) and 2nd (revielle or whatever) choice were injured. Given, he had a great game v England, but he never justified 6mil.

in short, he’s not prem quality, and entering the ‘peak’ of his career, but supposition is that he won’t be. he’s an anamoly; he’s the one player pardew didn’t have to transform into an average player. he already was

I’m goin to the hammers game on Saturday if we don’t get a result against them surely sumthin has to change I mean we looked the same as last season conceded a goal and the heads dropped and players looked like there was just no confidence throughout them whatsoever and to be goin through that at the very start of the season is worrying to say the least as looks as if parsed just canny motivate them at all

If you actually watched France matches with debuchy in there, you would think we are having a different player.

He was involve in any attacks coming from the right marauding forward and also brilliant defending. He was one of euros top players not for nothing.

It has to be something wrong with our formation somewhere to make him look so horrible.

And Cabaye looks so poor with us. Hlaf the time he goes missing in games. But clubs like Barca, PSG, Manchester and Arsenals are not interesting in him for nothing. These giants are not fools. There has to be something in him which they see, which we are not seeing.

Pardew just can’t bring the best out of Debuchy and Cabaye in particular. Cabaye would be one of the league finest midfielder if he goes to Man Utd or Arsenal. He will flourish.

Ok the dust has settled, as has the red mist. I am not saying that loyalty to the club is a bad thing, however I am saying that your loyalty is misdirected by going to St James’ Park.

While you’re not directly to blame for the situation the club finds itself in, you are contributing to the very thing that is sucking the lifeblood of the club.

You can make grandiose claims of “Geordie till I die and I will always go to SJP”, but this is nothing more than self important rhetoric, and if analysed would show more self interest than the interest of the club.

Caring about the club would surely mean that you would be willing to take positive steps in order to help the club. By going to the matches you are not helping the club, in fact you are doing the opposite.

I don’t feel paranoid about not being Geordie, I am Irish, something I myself am incredibly proud of, and being a NUFC fan is as much part of my identity as my own nationality and while boycotts may appeal more to those who live outside the city, we need the help of those inside the city in order to weed out the devastating ownership of Mike Ashley.

A few weeks of seriously depleted attendances would make Mike Ashley stand up and take notice, but if we fill the place out between now and the end of the transfer window, and every week from then on in, watching miserable display followed by miserable display, ask yourself, why am I here? Am I helping the team? Would not being here and joining a movement to get rid of Mike Ashley actually benefit the club more?

These are questions that you need to ask yourself, look past the ritual of going to the club, look past the endless regimes and managers who didn’t deserve us in the past and question the very nature of why this is happening to our once great club?

At the end of the day the one thing that would make any kind of impact to Ashley would be to boycott St. James park. No amount of blog posts, Ashley out banners and chanting will make any kind of difference.

But if only 20,000 turn up for the West Ham game, that might just get the Fat slobs attention.

Hi guys looks like we could miss out on Sinclair. Possible move to Southampton as Puncheon has either passed or is having a medical at Palace. That’s another target we will miss out on. Come on JFK pull your finger out and get some young British talent.

For those interested in assigning yourself to a twitter movement that could potentially gather pace, it has gathered over 1000 followers, and more than 200 between last night and now, I would suggest that you follow

….and if chelsea had actually been interested, he would have gone there, don’t you think? Or are you saying he gave up double wages, CL football, title contention, and all the fame that goes along with the aforementioned to come pal around with cabaye?

Now if I was a holy man who visited church every week out of loyalty to God then I would be called a supporter of God.

If the church I visited was owned by a corrupt man who was fleecing all of my fellow believers and taking the money we give to the church and keeping it for himself would I then continue to visit the church to line his pockets out of loyalty to God, or would I refuse to visit the church until this man had been removed?

Not going to church doesn’t make me less supportive of God, and by not going I am doing what’s right on moral and religious grounds. I can still pray from home and support the religion I believe in but by visiting the church I am doing myself, my fellow worshipers and my religion no good.

If nobody turns up to the church the villain of the piece receives no money from the faithful community and is either forced out and forced to change his ways.

@85. Ruddy.
The whole Ashley Out twitter movement etc is a complete waste of time.
Unless there’s a buyer lined up, it’s pointless.
All that ‘Effort’ should be focused on attracting a buyer, rather than pressurising a sale, when there’s no buyer in sight.
It’s complete DOH! time.

The stance Ruddy Marveaux-lous is encouraging us to take is EXACTLY what is required.
If the Editor of this blog has any balls he would adopt and openly encourage this approach NOW.
I doubt he will though ….. his web revenue is more important to him than his love of NUFC.
Come on ED …. show us your true colours.

Gutierez out injured yes others will hav a chance know
Taylor banned for 3 games yes mbiwa will have a chance
Cabaye about to leave yes we finally showing more interest in transfer market
Just look at the bright side

Looneytoon…I like the idea tbh, but I think the problem with the “ashley out campaign” is the seemingly lack of compromise. Ashley out doesn’t leave much room for maneuvering.

What we should be looking for is solutions, but the board need to know it’s not just a case of buy us a few players now and it’s all okay, it needs to be continuous.

From history that looks difficult, given the lack of communication, but it needs to be addressed as things cannot continue as they are and I feel that if left alone things will kick off in a bad way, so it’s better to get some structure together imo.

Right lads, I’m off to meet the Minister for the Environment of Northern Ireland I’m actually not kidding haha

I’ve said it earlier in the thread, with a collective unified movement, through FansUtd meetings and internet presence on both Facebook and Twitter we can organise ourselves, and if we get organised we can potentially effect change.

Join the Mike Ashley Out campaign on Facebook and Twitter @Mike_Ashley_Out and you can follow my brand spanking new Twitter account @CiaranDonaghy2, I haven’t tweeted much but I will do much more in the coming weeks and months ahead.

Let’s be truly United in the same cause for the benefit of the club and say enough is enough!

How much does your average hit man cost these days ? , I am sure we could have a blog whip-round and raise the funds for someone to take Ashley out . Professional job though, make it look like an accident

I do not run the MAOC twitter account, but twitter and facebook are excellent tools in order to galvanise and organise people for meetings, protest marches, and events.

If used incorrectly, it is just a bunch of people griping, but the agenda will be structured by FansUtd, and if need be an official Mike Ashley Out campaign group can be set up, official meetings convened and a structured agenda and plan of action put forward.

This is not a talking shop, the time for talk is over, the time for action is now!

Worse case scenario there is no immediate change, but slowly and surely Ashley loses fans and therefore revenue and interest and as a result takes a financial hit. Albeit slowly over time, however it’s still something.

For all those wanting to take action to get Ashley out, have any of you actually thought of a realistic alternative? Otherwise it’s a pretty pointless exercise and runs the risk of us being taken over by chicken farmers

AP, Are you back?
You really should be at SJP doing your homework instead of going on fancy trips. We have other people to do that. Are you prepared for the game in JUST three bloody days? Who’s doing the coaching? Tactics and all that irritating crap? Get back home, now, dude.

What is the point in finding a prospective buyer when the current occupier has no intention to sell his prized asset, people turning up in there droves to watch something they aren’t happy with….free advertising for brand Sports Direct. Force Ashley’s hand to sell and then a prospective buyer will take the club, otherwise whoever we approach as fans will get fleeced for millions more than he/she should. Just because most fans are happy being fleeced by going to games etc doesn’t mean sensible new owners are willing to pay through the teeth for a club going nowhere fast

I was just going to quote what I thought was a bible reference in response to your “newcastle is my religion, st james is my church” comment, but then realised it was actually from the movie Stigmata…damn movies ruining things for me

I think the lack of compromise stems from the fact that nufc are being left so far behind in terms of investment that if he isn’t ousted soon the damage could be terminal (if its not already).

It isn’t about signing players as you say, it is about the huge investment needed throughout the squad year on year just to compete. Them to be successful you need to triple that.

I can see in 5-10 years NUFC being a team that flirts with relegation and has lost it’s grandeur as a bigger and better club than many others.

People are forgetting that soon our beloved St. James park will just be a big stadium amongst other big stadiums. It’s conceivable to think that in a decade we will have the 5th-10th biggest stadium in England rather than the 3rd.

Other clubs are not only taking over us but stampeding by and leaving us in the dust.

10 years ago we were fighting CL, 5 years ago we signing massive names and chasing the CL dream, now we are on our way to becoming another mediocre club that stagnates in purgatory.

but funny thing about that shirt with the saying… happens to be a strip club about 10 minutes from me named st james… i thought about pulling a kets and wearing it there, and see if i get any special attention

Wow. Norwich now after ex Bolton player Elmander. That will be their third centre forward they buy this transfer window. Where are we at with our purchases are we still looking through the shop window. Drooling over what we could have if Cashley spent some money.

Macas – It’s that type of mentality that has got us to where we are today, it is only a pointless exercise if you are happy with what has gone during Ashley’s regime, the flip side to your chicken farmer argument is do nothing when we could have a Mansoor type owner, the point is we just don’t know and not knowing is something I’m not scared of because I know this regime is utter rubbish!!

Either way we have to act as fans because nothing’s going to change anytime soon. Why the sudden urgency for new players? Probably because Ashley has realised he needs to keep people happy but we won’t spend anywhere near what we receive for cabaye.

Belfast…Understandable, but please don’t take the joy of our brief passings away, I’m not sure I could cope.

What’s your name on Twitter? Are you an active user?

Beattie…This is an area which I think needs seriously addressing before any movement can really take off. What exactly are the aims?

You know I’m not one to make calls for a shake up without a plan being in place.

You say huge investment is needed, I’m not sure I agree, as we have covered in the past. The club needs to progress though, if they can do that on a budget as they have shown at times in the past, that i can live with. However, standing still is not an option, they proved it last year.

I do agree though that as fans we need a focus, the club isn’t really giving them that, so we need to offer the club a solution that works with the threat of further action if there isn’t any solution to be found. Not an empty gesture threat, but a united promise of structure…that can only be done with clear guidelines imo…something that is still missing. Once again though, I like the early sounds that are being made.

Beattie…I really need to take a proper look at the clubs accounts to be able to have this discussion. We should certainly be looking at why, if we can’t right now, we’re not able to have a transfer fund like other teams. What avenues aren’t we exploring etc?

From what I understand, the new TV money doesn’t become available to the club until the end of the season, so in theory hasn’t had an impact yet. Some clubs may be spending it in advance and that may be fine, but we know that isn’t the Ashley way and to some extent I can get my head around that. One of my biggest issues is that it wont get spent when it is available.

I think we can all agree on that we want to see investment and progression year on year, the amount needed to do that is obviously a grey area that will differ from person to person.

What are your thoughts then on the club being self sufficient or are you of the thinking that as Ashley owns it he should be obligated to put his money in if the club doesn’t have it?

now i know im an american, i am not on the level soem spoke of, which is crap btw, you dont have to be a geordie to love NUFC, but i dont understand why youd want rangers, when you have our club… baffles me… i fell in love with newcastle the minute i saw them, first match i watched and i became as diehard as i could and still am, but rangers???

Is Tom Ince good enough to come to NUFC and do a job? Also, is Gomis good enough? We have one linked who is knocking on a bit (28) and another who is still really up and coming. I really think Thauvin and Sinclair would be better options. Yes, i know Thauvin is still up and coming but i feel is a better player then Ince. Mind you, i have only seen little of them both but what i have seen Thauvin seems the better buy at the same price as Ince AND Sinclair has EPL experience and is cheaper then then both. We really need players that will make an instant impact.

Dok…All it comes down to is the cost exercise. He can have Rangers competing at the top of their respective leagues fairly inexpensively and thus get CL football and a wide world audience for his SD store.

I don’t think it’s any more complex than that tbh. It’s not ever been about loyalty or love for the club, which I can accept, but i would have hoped his business intentions could have run hand in hand with the fans ambitions…at least better than they are.

Anyone can love NUFC mate, no matter where you are. I have lived 7 minutes drive from SJP and a stones throw away from the training ground all my life and spent thousands on season tickets and merchandise but is does not make me anymore a supporter then anyone else no matter where in the world folk are from. The more the merrier for me lol

Think people should hang fire on giving some of our players too much grief related to the Man City game, the season starts on Saturday for us, we never had a prayer at Man City and to be fair a bit of good may come of it.

Number of potential positives –

1. Jonas is now injured and cant be considered for the next few games, hopefully we may see Marv or Anita, more likely Sammi mind you.

2. Saylor is suspended which forces Pardew to play Yanga Mbiwa CB and Santon Full Back.

3. No Shola and an attempt to pass the ball along the deck, yes we struggled but at least it shows some intent.

4. One more game closer to Pardew getting sacked. Prey to God..This will come true shortly.

Am I missing something or is all this ‘boycott the club’ and ‘Mike Ashley Out Campaign’ stuff little more than people liking a Facebook page or following a tweet?

When has this course of action ever worked in the past? Do people really expect MA to turn his back and walk away from millions of ponds of his own money? And if the fans did (somehow) persuade him to go, who the hell would he sell us to? Who’s to say things would get better?

I’m sick and tired of the direction this club is taking and the joke we have become but surely one of the only weapons we have in our arsenal is that we are a fantastically well supported club with passionate, borderline zealous fans who will fill the stadium to the rafters. Take that away and what have we got left to offer? We certainly can’t promise players a world-class manager or CL football. Turn SJP into a graveyard and who the hell will want to sign for us then?

Perhaps MA is delighting in the fact that he can treat the club as he pleases and watch 52,000 fans turn up the following week. When Ruddy wrote that earlier it did resonate and made me slightly sick. I get it. What I don’t get it believing that starting a Facebook page for getting rid of Ashley is going to make a difference, or even if it did, assuming that everything would then be fine. What’s the plan then? Who’s going to step in? Haven’t we been starting various ‘Ashley Out’ campaigns for the last three or four years..?

Sinclair only makes sense to me. I can’t understand why he ain’t been snapped up as yet. Really unsure on Gomis tbf and Lyon want quite a chunk of money for him considering his contract runs soon. I am sure there are younger better and strikers out there for the same price range. Wonder if Gomis is Carr’s idea?

Lol, i am sure we can work something out om the Jersey front lol and certainly a pint of two haha. You will need a skin full BEFORE watching NUFC because of the nerves and anothe double skin full after the match for the dross you have just watched just to drown the sorrows hahaha, but this is why we love the club. One minute they have you on a high, the next they kick you in the nuts to bring you back down to Earth. Good old NUFC lol

Toon1978….I don’t know too much about Gomis, but from a few people whose opinion I trust over others, they feel he would do well for us and would offer the type of striker we need to compliment Cisse…sounds good to me, but only hearsay.

Munster….Do you not think there are a fair few who are at that point of being seriously annoyed? There is just no belief anywhere.

I don’t think this is even so much a Geordie issue (lack of belief / fight), I notice it more and more when I go home. People feel powerless in general and need a vehicle in which to let their thoughts be heard. But it needs to be the right vehicle, which is easier said than done.

I think you’re off with your statement that they don’t political, they just need a scenario they can believe in as the worry or a worse scenario unfolding is too much to take for many…which I totally understand.

Especially the bit that says:Now Newcastle are set to pay the eight million pound valuation set by the Seasiders, and according to the Daily Mirror, Thomas’ father Paul Ince would be happier if the winger were to sign for Newcastle than big spending Spurs.

The club should be self sufficient but it seems to me Ashley is holding the club back from being successfully self sufficient.

Why accept £4 million less per year for Wonga?

The thing is he hasn’t bought a business he has bought a football club and he owes it to the fans who spend their hard earned cash to make it successful on the football pitch, that should be what matters.

If he can’t do that he needs to sell. If he wants to make us successful then he must dip into his own fortune until such a time he can make us successful enough to pay him back. If he doesn’t want to take the risk he needs to ship out.

The reason other clubs are spending the TV money now is to ensure they a void relegation and push as far up the table as possible. They’re taking the risks the right way. Spend 30 million now to ensure you not only have over 60 million next year in TV money but also the year after that too.

So in answer to your question Ashley must either put in his own money in order to make our self sufficiency sustainable and successful or he must ship out now and allow someone else to have a go at it.

The only way we’re ever going to attract massive sponsorship fees by respectable companies is by building success on the field.

Instead we have a cheap Puma deal that sees our kit designed shared with lesser clubs, a disgusting loan shark company paying us championship level fees and the owners company emblazoned throughout the stadium that costs him nothing to advertise.

You just know that the club will keep telling perspective clubs that we will only sell if there’s time to buy a replacement. …. but deep down they will sell with seconds left in the window.

I genuinely believe Ash is running the finances down and once the tv money is in at the end of August he will sell and move onto Rangers. It’s the only thing that makes sense the way he has run this club over the past year.

Ashley will sell to the highest bidder just like any other owner would, it’s just in his nature….fat greedy ****. The point is do nothing and we are left with a problem that will get worse, I think Beattie pointed out that clubs are going to build bigger stadiums etc. 5 more years of this regime and the club will no longer be held in such high regard by other fans, clubs, players. Yes we have fantastic support but it is that support that can get us out of this mess by boycotting, not every game if it pleases some fans but boycotting 3 or 4 games in a row….that will get people talking, more importantly that will hurt Ashley in the most important place of all, HIS POCKET!!

Does anybody else think that we should go in for lacina traore? He’s young, a highly rated player and with his hight I think would do well in the premier league….I also reckon we could get him for about 10 mil as anzhi want to sell so should take around that as they paid about 18 million euros for him…. He would work well in our team as like it or not we are playing hoof ball. The only thing I can think of is his wages..but he’s going to have to take a pay cut anyway….

Basically I think that is where this will always get tricky. There does need to be some middle ground or compromise somewhere

I honestly don’t feel that long term it would matter too much for Ashley if the stadium wasn’t full. If his priority is to just limp along in the PL he can probably make that work financially without the fans superb attendance week in, week out. I just feel that requests such as, We like the idea of being self-sufficient but If the club can’t afford it you must pay for it, is going to work. What’s the incentive? It’s been tried before and maybe if people hold out longer changes may be made.

Ha, that was the basic version. Man I hate the internet over here. Anyone fancy starting an “Ibiza Internet In” group? The whey III group?

it seems to me , when i or someone else says ‘ stop going ‘ people automatically look at that as a gesture of anarchy against the team-you couldnt be more wrong. Cast your mind back to monday, what you witnesed was 11 pityfull souls , running about like headless chickens, no direction, no formation, no chance. is that really what you want to see? do you love newcastle that much that you are willing to put them through that every week. Do you get a kick out of seeing your favouit team torchered for 90 mins on the back of a 4-0 drubbing? IMO that is not love for the club , that is to satisfy your own selfishness.
They looked like they didnt want to be there. are you people who disagree with boycotting , telling me they ( the players) are happy with the situation ? with the squad they have? the position they are in ? with their owner? let me tell you something for a fact – NO theyre not , i dont care what anybody says – they are not happy, but they cant do anything about it- we can. Do tou really think they would be bothered if a few thousand stopped going if it meant in the long run , we might get a new owner, who may buy better players, get a decent squad together, those fans would come back in a heart beat and the players know that because this is not about them its about getting better players in to play with them so that they havnt got to endure embarrasing evenings like monday again. Think about it do you want to watch 11 pityful mites who cant wait for the final whistle to blow so they can get away from the ground as quick as they can feeling like a bag of shite- or would you rather see 11 men proudly wearing that black and white shirt showing off their skills while tearing teams apart? the latter wont happen with ashley in charge. I believe the players are waiting for a backlash from the fans- i think they will be happy when it comes.

All f this shouting and bawling about lack of transfers might be wasted by September 2nd.

Yes, we should have signed players earlier but better late than never.

I can’t believe that Kinnear has been doing sweet fa since he came and I just hope that there has been plenty going on behind the scenes that we don’t about out.

As for the Ashley Out campaign – its a doddle liking a FB page but getting fans to actually do something is totally different.

It will take something like signing no other players, selling Cabaye, HBA and Cisse before the window closes and losing our first six games to get any real Ashley Out demonstrations from the rank and file at matches. Not saying that is as it should be, but that is as it will be.

Yes indeed, I forgot to mention that underselling the tickets will make no difference financially compared to the TV money. To have any sort of impact on MA’s pocket you’d somehow have to get Sky to Boycott NUFC. Now that would take some doing…

I agree that missing a few games and doing it-ins after games will get people talking but we’ve been there before. Nothing changed. Remember all the protests and sit-ins the Blackburn fans did? It became a farce that was hugely detrimental to the performance of the team and disrespectful to the manager. After all, MA has effectively castrated Pardew but it’s Pardew who will bear the brunt of protests and have to answer for them.

I hate to be defeatist but I think it’s all just fist-clenching and banner-waving and it won’t change a thing. MA will go when he’s good and ready. He already knows where we stand and he couldn’t care less.

On Sinclair – Sky have Saints as favourites to sign him. This makes me sad.

Munster…Perhaps you’re right and Liverpool wouldn’t have tolerated the idea for a second, but it wasn’t just done under the premise of a name change, but under the promise of expanding our spending power…ha.

I think the belief is all but sucked out of many fans now, perhaps a little late, but still, I think the mood has changed and is escalating at a pace. If Ashley does want to remain he would be smart to take a bit more notice imo. People who don’t know how to channel their thoughts / frustration can be dangerous and that will be detrimental to all involved. I hope sense can prevail before that.

Peace, love & harmony – Far out!

Bills…I feel “Ashley out” is perhaps the wrong angle to take. A “change in” approach could be a better first step.

I think you’re right though, some signings, even if late, will calm a lot of people, but I do feel extensive damage has been done this past year to quite a few fans who were supporters not that long ago.

If the players cared that much they’d leave. They’re not prisoners. I’m afraid most of them don’t care about the greater good of the club anywhere near as much as you or I. They’re there to do a job. Anyway, regardless of that my main point is all this boycott talk won;t work. ’11 men proudly wearing that black and white shirt showing off their skills while tearing teams apart’ won’t happen overnight because NUFC sell 4,000 fewer tickets for a game. That’s very wishful thinking.

bills-son

Agree there but even then what do people expect the demonstrations to achieve? What happened with Blackburn? These aren’t the good ol’ days when an angry mob can chase a villian out their town with burning torches.

out toon

Yes and Beattie made a very good (and worrying) point BUT people have been talking, are still talking and sadly a few people missing a few matches isn’t going to hurt MA! Not with all the TV money etc. This isn’t Roy of the Rovers. If you somehow managed to empty SJP completely then, well, that would be something… but it would also be damaging to the club.

Am I missing something? As the majority of fans who attend home matches are ST holders a boycott would make no difference – in fact the only people who’s finances would be affected is us fans who would have paid for STs that they are not using?

I don’t understand why the fans should be happy even if we spend to get in 3 players. Only reason we will get another 3 or more is cause of the sale of Cabaye if it weren’t for that then we would get only 1 more player in for very cheap.

I was surprised to see Lee Ryder finally come out of the sports direct closet and admit to the circus it is at NUFC and how the £60m extra income should be spent on players as other clubs below us are doing.

What I am afraid of is once 3 players come in every fan is going to forget this “Mike Ashley out” campaign and just straight on the “Mike Ashley Pro” campaign.

Nothing will change under this fat bast@rd, we should be investing allot of money on 4-6 first players/squad rotation and another 7+ on youngsters for the future. £60m + sale of cabaye is what? £90m and count in the other money we never even got to spend last summer.

I hope fans wont stop with this “Mike Ashley Out Campaign” because Mike Ashley is a clever git and is going to show little ambition here and there to get fans back on his side.

Mike Ashley has never genuinely spent money from his own pocket FACT, only the money that is generated from PL revenue, sales of tickets and resale profit of players and also the sponsorship with Virgin Money which was spent on Cisse DL confirmed this. So never has he spent money on players and shown ambition.

Time for a change, a change is what we have needed for a very long time but it wont come if the fans are gullible after 2 or 3 players that come in just because of the Cabaye sale, what a disgrace.

Do nothing and the club will be left behind in a big way, do nothing and nothing will change, hoping for change will not mean something will change. Proactively unite as United and something will change, force change. We can organise something initially with the people on this blog, that will have a snowball effect. Act now or die in silence

Spot on mate, a boycott of games will affect Ashley in small way financially, but it sends out the message that the fans are not going to sit back and allow him to trample all over us anymore.

It would also garner massive interest from the media which in turn will add more pressure to Ashley and who know’s it may force his hand in one way or another, either way something has to happen or we are simply going to walk off the edge of the cliff without a word of protest

The incentive should be for Ashley to in time make mega bucks. If he commits to sustainable self sufficiency that is both rewarding and successful then ultimately he could make a fortune for himself and the club.

If we were challenging in the CL, had massive sporting endorsements and sponsorship and a packed stadium every week and merchandise flying out the shops we wouldn’t care if he rewarded himself with a cut of the profits.

We care now because what little we have he takes from us in the name of self sufficiency.

That’s where the middle ground could be found. If he brings us success and turns over massive revenue he can take back whatever we owe him and whatever profit he wants as long as it doesn’t impede the club challenging for honours.

The problem with Ashley is he doesn’t think the reward is worth the risk.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
T. S. Eliot

I used to beg my uncle to take me to the match in the early 80s. He used to tell me “you don’t want to waste all your pocket money watching that rubbish!”

The big difference now is the team is still rubbish (mainly because of the manager) but because of the money involved & what these players are getting paid, it just invites pressure on the players when they don’t perform or are not interested in the shirt.
30 years ago at least you had 11 players who worked hard (even though some were crap!) and tried their best in the shirt.
Ashley is no different to previous regimes where he just wants profit / money in his pocket from the club at the fans’ expense. If those fans want to keep going to the matches & filling his pocket then he will remain here. I stopped going when KK left because I could see it was all bullsh*t. What kind of club signs players that the manager has never heard of, hasn’t seen play, and doesn’t want? Regardless of KK’s ability to take us forward.

Getting promotion straight back to PL was a very proud feeling but with this fat greedy b*st*rd running our club, we will never achieve success. 8 year contract to a tactically inept manager….? BECAUSE HE’S CHEAP!

You’d be surprised how much power people can have. Less season ticket sales and less match day sales, as well as having a half empty stadium with an under performing team means less TV games and therefore less tv money too.

That will have an effect, less merchandise sales, bad press for him etc.

Also if some way to get other fans inside to encourage a boycott of sports direct on certain days too it could help, it’s all hypothetical and difficult to implement but nothing worthwhile is easy.

New banner says it all. We can’t rely on our current group of players. It has nothing to do with them personally but rather the modern state of football. They will always look to the next big pay day. The club however, will remain. Look at what makes a club great, what made Sir Bobby Robson proud to be a Geordie, it’s the fans, the players who got us off our seats, the players, like Shearer who stuck by us through thick and thin. I’m not criticising our current players, that’s the way of modern football, but it is a sad state we find ourselves in. The new banner is both heartwarming and utterly depressing all at once.

Yes, ‘do nothing and nothing will change’ (until he eventually sells up) but that doesn’t mean ‘do something and it’ll all go away.’ Look, maybe I am missing something so please explain to me how this boycott will work, even if it does get off the ground.

As Martoon points out, many attending fans are ST holders and won’t just throw them away.

Underselling a few thousand tickets won’t affect MA financially.

Protests have done little or nothing in the past. This is not the first time a boycott/protest has been touted. Whilst they do send a message they also distract/displease players and put off prospective signings. Who will come to us with all that going on?

MA already knows we’re not happy. This is old news. It’s crystal clear. He doesn’t give a goat’s flange about us. He’s not a fan and he’s all about business.

Remember, this is a man who appointed Kinnear as DoF. Do you really think he’ll care about a few more negative articles in the press? He’s had years of them. He won’t simply walk away from millions of pounds of his own money.

I agree mate and think that is what needs to happen, if one game was targeted and no one turned up it would send a massive message publicly as the media would descend on Newcastle like nothing ever seen before

Beattie…A haircut? In the midst of a revolution? I questions ones commitment to the cause

I guess it’s best that we pick apart that comment here and now, rather than down the line…all in the name of getting a good model in which to progress with of course and not just me being difficult….

From what I know, there is no proof that Newcastle United has directly made Ashley any money, only cost him money. The argument is the exposure it gives his other business which since it’s affiliation has done rather well….

That would seem to be the Ashley incentive…which if all else if ok, I think most fans could get their head around…although I know most would like a better brand than SD to be associated with the club, we can’t have it all.

I do think without significant investment, which is looking unlikely anytime soon, once again an opinion formed from little investigation in to the actual accounts, then CL chasing may be a step too far for now, but it should be the ambition with the right model.

We can get back in to intentions of Ashley, but to date, I don’t think he has taken any money from the club, but I do accept that having a financially happy Newcastle United does benefit Ashley.

There needs to be a lot more clarity. Only from that can there ever be any trust

Ibiza, no boycott for me. Ashley has bought players the fans envied when they were at lower clubs. He got them at reasonable prices, which meant his money went further. Weve wasted millions in the transfer market before and overpaid, so not surprisingly hes sick of it. Those who want him gone, cant step in themselves as owners or find someone who can and will. So what are they asking for? They cant tell us the name of a potential new owner. Ashlry simply needs to realise he needd to put in place a top manager. As soon as we get some success, the anti ashley brigade will retreat.

I’m looking into organising some stuff with fan groups to pick a game to boycott. Ideally a game which will be televised so people around the world get to see us have an empty stadium for a full 90 mins not just highlights.

I don’t think it’s our job as fans to find a suitable owner, that is where somebody with the right knowledge is needed, There are always people wanting to buy clubs and if we can brass Ashley of enough to just sell to get rid instead of trying to make a huge profit we might find plenty interested.

The club shows no loyalty to our current players by claiming everyone has a price so why should the players not look elsewhere…for the next big pay packet, we would all do the same in our current jobs.

Lets organise something on here with regards to boycotting, maybe get Ed’s support on this, maybe arrange a meeting between the fans first to get some ideas and how best to proceed. Any takers?

Blackley….You may have caught me at the wrong time. I have always been quite pro the idea of Ashley and his plan, but I do think it has stagnated the past year and do feel that what has been done to date is merely a crowd control technique. I said at the beginning of this summer that this was Ashleys proper test. By most reckoning, we are now run in the black, there is new TV money available this season (I’m not sure whether now or at the end mind – but surely there would be a way to free up some cash to do some dealings this summer?).

It just seems we’re being drip fed bs. People have said that for ages and I always held out hope they would be proved wrong, like they were 2 years ago when we had a great window, but since?

You mention the manager, well, if Ashley had higher ambitions why wouldn’t he have upgraded in the summer? If it was that he felt he had perhaps not helped Pardew last year, then what is this summer about?

I’m really not one to get hysterical about the toon, but it doesn’t look too good.

I could even handle the club saying that we need to sell before we’ll be buying, at least we know where we stand. It’s this whole making everyone second guess their intentions that doesn’t sit right with me. Surely having that much unclear is solely in place to cause confusion and doubt amongst the fans otherwise they’d change it?

greebol1892 i admit all owners are the same , they all have profit in mind There is greed and there is ashley, he is a different ball game, ,at least the pther owners tried to give us something back- that dosnt even ener ashleys head . we may as well not be here .

They operated at a loss for a few years selling at a low price in order to gain a strong hold on the market and once they had prices slowly rose and sails increased to a point where they were selling in such bulk they can afford to keep selling cheap.

They needed huge investment up front and it paid off.

I’m sure there are more examples of how it failed but as a club in the prem league we don’t need huge gambles which risk the future of the club, just calculated gambles which won’t do long term harm if they don’t come off.

@Our Toon, I’m not arguing that point sir. Nor am I saying it’s the current players fault. It’s the evolution of the game from hobby, to business to money spinning exercise. Of course we would all go to a new job for better money, the players have every right. The point I was making is the banner represents a bygone era. The club, as Sir Bobby said, is about the fans. The people who support the team through thick and thin. That banner represents that, it’s just ironic that in order to convey it we have to lose the banner of all our players….it’s essentially saying that we can no longer hero worship players like we did back in the day. Because, no matter how much you love a player now either they or the club will eventually look to cash in on them. Very few players spend their careers at once club anymore and those that do I have nothing but respect for.

Ok, a targeted and systematic boycott of not only NUFC but also SportsDirect & Wonga with a few celebrities/politicians/journalists on board. Now that would have an impact. Definitely. As you say it would be very hard to do but not impossible and would have much more of an effect than a Facebook page and a few people not going to a game or two.

But then what? Who would become the new owner? Many would think twice before taking over the club that attacked it previous owner’s business & its sponsor to drive him out.

JB…Don’t get carried away mate. I have always said that I have doubts, but that in the absence of an actual plan of action, I find constant moaning to be pointless.

I am always open to discussing ideas about change, but not just change for the sake of it.

But yeah, shame on you Ashley, I had a spot all sorted up on my fence.

Beattie @244…Anything else you’d like, perhaps a back rub? No chance of Ashley waiving the “debt” or apologising. As I was saying earlier, i feel to have any success, there needs to be a plan both parties can live with, otherwise it’s been tried before and failed.

Rowan @225——
———————————-‘Protests have done little or nothing in the past. This is not the first time a boycott/protest has been touted. Whilst they do send a message they also distract/displease players and put off prospective signings. Who will come to us with all that going on——–‘ first of all it woyld not be advisable to protest IF the team were doing well , however , i am sure , if you saw the game on monday , there was nothing there to distract – not even a team– also putting off signings??? W e havnt bought . the reason being – who wants to come ??? we cant get anyone to sign for us now – with ashley in charge , so boycotting for a better owner MUST only be good for the club

Afternoon folks,
Just a quick one as I don’t think anyone else has noticed, I think that there’s been a monumental mistake made on the nufc blog fantasy league. I logged on to see how far ahead I was from the minnions, only to find that the pts must have been added up wrong, I was mortified to find that I’m currently lying joint 769th, heads should roll for such incompetence.

I hope dummet gets a chance on the weekend! Unsure on gomis who’s never set the French league on fire and prefer Sinclair who’s proven in the prem. hope to god we replace cabaye but I just can’t see it happening. And tiote needs to be sold and buy diame who costs like 3 or 4 mil

What do you think to the boycott of the Norwich home games on November 23rd. Shows how houghton was sacked which was the start of angering the fans after managing to win us over. Also how houghton now has more money to spend at Norwich than pardew does at Newcastle

They know before getting into it that the fans won’t accept people taking this piss due to the way we ousted Ashley and therefore only people wanting success would actually buy the club.

If we keep quiet and roll over like dogs whilst Ashley is in charge do you really think he cares who he sells us to next. If we do nothing chances are the next owner will be worse than Ashley. If we do something we can try to ensure the next owner isn’t.

Shola is poo! And today so is cisse (one trick pony) we need some strength up top, not a little girl. If we had wingers cisse would be decent but we dont, we need some big lads. Especially at the back, when strikers are beating your defenders in the air its time to panic! Big boys or relegation i am afraid. City were awesome though.

If not we should organise a black tie day where people visit the match dressed in funeral outfits to pay homage to the death of nufc, then we have a minutes silence in the 9th minute and throw our shirts onto the pitch after the final whistle.

I think we need something small, poignant and creative to start with and build up to the full scale boycotts.

Go on then surprise us with some top players
Heard it all before
We sell and let go of more players than we get in.
Of course we se quite plainly that AP thinks he’s got a good team
as he keeps choosing an Argentine int that only ever played RB and he’s supposed to be a winger,what he does on the wing is something
intireley different
Really see us gettin battered in the league this year by mid table teams that we always thought were poorer teams and clubs than ourselves but somewhere in the last couple of years we’ve purchased some top players yet have become a worse team for it.
No point in calling for AP’s head as MA will just get another cronie in like Curbs or JK
It’s very sad to see this happening at our precious club.
We actually came close to having one of our best squads in decades when we had Ba in the ranks,with just the need of one or two top players to challenge yet we don’t do it and go backwards
We also have an anept manager and owner,putting people in charge of positions in the club that are way above their ability.
I ask myself.
Are things gonna get better?
Not before they get a whole lot worse and that could mean relegation again
Overreacting you say!
Lets just get some idea from the two home games coming up,don’t think we will get a point out of them myself

The defeat to City wasn’t anything other than expected really, but the nature of the defeat was depressing, if we are going to lose a game then at least let’s lose it by fighting tooth and nail for everything but we looked beaten from the start

Ibiza
Lol yeah sounds good but wont happen. Just frustrated that with our lack of width, it puts cisse under extreme pressure as he cant dribble or hold up the ball up and has no options. If we got gomis he could hold it up with the defender dropping off a yard rather than the defender taking the ball off cisse with ease, which would give us the chance to get in behind for the first time in ages! Monday was heartbreaking but swansea conceded 4 so will wait until after saturday to pass judgement. Watch this space

What’s the point of boycotting something you don’t use? Completely pointless. Oh I’ll boycott Wonga. Err don’t use it. Okay I’ll boycott SD, errr don’t shop there. Boycott the match, no way.
A lot of people on here don’t go to the match on a regular basis for whatever reason, therefore it’s not really a boycott.

Which is why local fan groups and pubs should be contacted as well as local media to get the message to those who do attend regularly.

Jack

I was actually impressed with how we played before the red card. I thought there were signs of an improvement. It wasn’t perfect but we faced strong and fired up opposition. A good test will be the next two home games as they are the ones we need to win to be a top 7 side

“German fans have a knack of organising themselves and creating pressure groups. Examples such as standing areas, cheaper tickets and TV highlights shown on screens within the ground after the game exist not because of the club’s benevolence but because the fans have fought for them”

This might be a daft sugesstion but maybe inviting the likes of Bobby Muncur (spelt wrong I think) to a fans meeting at strawberry, getting the likes of Ant & Dec on board (again maybe daft) but only for them to throw there weight behind the movement, but celebs will only support something which has a definitive plan.

As I said earlier a few boycotts won’t cripple him financially as TV money dwarfs ticket money. So maybe sit ins after games, banners, protests after and before matches Etc might be the way to go. Need to discuss it as a group and see what the majority think.

Ibiza

Personally I’ve had enough and want him out anyway. Winning games has nothing to do with it for me, it’s more about providing a squad capable of winning over a season not just a few games when a most are fit. I just think we need to be signing more quality player and using our current lot to flesh out the squad as oppose to buying similar quality to flesh of out squad.

It’s not about spending mega bucks but making sure we have bring in quality, not just good quality for the money.

Say a player rated 6/10 for the price of a player 2/10 is good business…but is still rather see some 8 or 9/10 in terms of quality brought in…if that makes sense.

TS…That’s 2 or 3 times today I’ve got a “well said” or similar, I should probably be off soon.

BandB touched on a uncomfortable topic early about the differences and perceptions between North and South and that issue does run quite deep here imo.

Given the perception of Northerners by many Southerners, I feel it important not to come across as just a few angry supporters who have got their feathers ruffled. That isn’t meant to be disrespectful and I hope it isn’t taken that way by anyone.

I think some people are confusing a boycott as a long term thing when the reality is probably 2 games at most with a half empty stadium to get the point across.

Having 50000 odd at home v Sunderland shouting their heads off didn’t make a difference to the players and potential signings will hardly be put off joining a club where things that are currently bad may be about to be rectified by new owners.

I am not one of those who is upset about a lack of signings as with the SIX in Jan, Santa came early (not technically I now) and now with Remy replacing Ba we have a top 8 squad. The problem is Pardew, end of.

People need to judge our team after the next 2 games – If people truly think we are in the same ballpark as Man City, especially on the road they need to get their heads examined. We are not in the same league. Not even close. Now if we dont come away with 4 points over the next 2 then we can start boycotting.

Fair play to you mate. If you’re really going to put your money where your mouth is (so to speak) then I respect that massively, regardless of whether or not it works.

Just consider that it will be very hard. Lots of time and organisation. People will be fickle; they may change their minds after a couple of good results (if it happens!) and will give it all the talk but may not walk. You’ll also find it very hard to persuade people you’ve never met who may have season tickets, be taking their children for the first ever time, only get one Saturday off work in a blue moon, have made long and expensive travel arrangements etc etc to boycott the game.

Also, and as already pointed put, not everyone will agree as to the best course of action or even the time. But if you manage to organise something then well done and if it actually has a positive impact for NUFC then you will have my respect forever (now you truly have an incentive!).

I stand by my earlier comments but if there was a televised game with not one single seat sold to a NUFC fan then that would send out a message. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening in a month of Sundays.

Beattie25@265

Fair point. I hadn’t really considered it like that. If the right sort of owner came along then it would make the world of difference but there are 9 dodgy ones for every good ‘un I reckon…

stuart no9

Yeah, at times it couldn’t have got much worse, boycott/protest or not. I take your point but that was only part of my argument and I still fail to see how it’ll make a difference, unless we manage to arrange a grand boycotting of all things Ashley as Beattie suggested or empty the stadium for one televised game. Even if either of those things happened it may not make a difference but you’re right in saying something’s got to give.

RML @ 17
Right mate ,time for you to listen.
Im a bloke in his 50s and have worn a black @white shirt from the age of two or there abouts.
I stood in the leazes end with my mates from the age of 8 or 9 .
I went travelling away to watch Newcastle from about the age 12 to 13.
when we went away at that time (US GEORDIES). We fought against ,the Chelsea head hunters ,West ham icf, ,Everton , Leeds ,Sheff wed , Millwall ,Aston villa ,Grimsby , Portsmouth ,Carlisle ,Leicester ,Barnsley .
The list goes on and on, we were not hooligans it was just the way things were in them days ,anbody who supported Newcastle and went to away games in the 1970s to the 80s will agree with me as im sure they could tell you tales of their own.
In all that time we won nowt, and the majority of that time we were absolutely crap.but we went back week after week.
Why ,because we are GEORDIES, and as long as I can afford my ticket I will be there ,this year and if I live till im 100 years old I will still be there .
So don’t call me a sheep ,im a GEORDIE TILL I DIE !

you need a gimmick that will be highlighted by the cameras, and make the news, something like turn your back on the pitch every 15 minuets for a minuet, keep it up and it will be effective if its done with a boycott of sports direct and wonga, and try to involve the supporters of other clubs & get them to boycott then too as its not what most fans want, get the Ashley’s of this world out of football, its not as if he gets nothing from the club, while hes had our club the profits of his company have shot up, a coincidence or free loading off our club. the bloke is greedy he wants us as a billboard but does not pay anything for it.

ashley has made no money from nufc because theres no money to be made in football. Football clubs are rich boys toys. Why should he burn his own money to please other people. As for this idea that the right sugar daddy is ready to step in and yet we dont know who he is! incompetent and crazy. shows no strategy and looks ridiculous. whenever theres a fight for a crown, theres always king in waiting.
ruddy seems to think i should boycott my local team so i think its a fair question to ask who his local team is and how much allegiance he shows it

No one here thinks we are on the same ball park as Man City and to be fair that isn’t the point of the boycott, the purpose of boycotting is about the club itself. The lack of respect shown for the fans continued loyalty and investment. NO SIGNINGS, Remy is only on loan and doesnt belong to us. What happens on the pitch is only a drop in the ocean compared to some of the bigger issues.

Pardew 8 yr contract and manager, JFK as DOF, selling purples to pay for others, sell before buy policy. Every player has a price, long ball rubbish, empty promises, constant lies, penny pinching at every opportunity, openly inviting bids for players in press conferences. The list can go on forever….don’t think for one minute boycotting has anything to do with the 1 game we’ve got hammered in. Even if we win the next 3 this regime will not change its mentality.

The hell is the point of vuckic going to league 1? He played for cardiff in the championship and did well and has had a few decent games in europa and the PL. Even if its short term it isnt going to help vuckic develop in the slightest.

Agreed. Both him and Campbell playing below their ability imo. Kinnear’s ideas?

Rotonda heights

He can only play the hand MA deals him. He can’t very well come out and say “Our squad is thin, yet again we haven’t spent the money we needed to and it’s going to be a struggle.” We do have a good team, anyway; still lacking in certain areas obviously.

Watford would be perfect for him Lets hope he rejects the loan and either stays with us or if Pardew is adamant on loaning him he needs to go to a decent attacking Championship team. e.g. Watford, QPR, Brighton.

We are all Geordies till we die, by going to the games (if a boycott is planned) all you are doing is supporting the notion that this regime is RIGHT!! You are not doing it for the club or for the love of the club but for your own NEEDS and for you to feel fulfilled. Sorry but that’s just a fact. Meanwhile that FAT one laughs at you every time you pay him.

If you love something so much and can see it needs help are you going to try your best to help that something get out of the situation it/they are in or are you going to carry on as though nothing is wrong?

Some fans are like drug addicts, they claim to go to games for the love of the club but in reality you are going for your weekly fix, irrelevant of just how rubbish it is.

no one thinks we are in the same ball park as City but we’ve been woeful to watch for so long now from the Brighton cup and Reading, Sunderland and Liverpool at home defeats to name just a few.

The players clearly don’t believe or have faith in Pardew and I would say he lost the dressing room a long time ago.

The squad, however, is still top 8 but will it not be realised under Pardew as like everywhere he has been, after his initial promise, he is always found out and seemingly can never push on from there as only one top 6th finish in 14 years testifies.

Someone explain something to me…. most people who go to the games will be season ticket holders, right? So if you boycott the game, fat man still has your money, and a half empty ground will not bother him. Meanwhile the team are playing in what seems like an away atmosphere every game. Is that not how it would work?

Good point but it’s already been made and many similar points too. People are now talking about getting the media’s attention through stunts/gimmicks etc or trying to get the stadium empty for a televised game.

I don;t see anything happening or having any effect on MA if it did but respect to those willing to try!

You two may not feel that way but alot do. If we would have won the match none of this talk would even be going on. Everyone would be glowing. Furthermore, being a man down didnt allow us to accurately see how we would play after the jitters wore off. To Ashleys credit we have brought in 6 1st team players and we are not even 8 full months throught the year. In addition, the window is not shut yet. I as amuch as everyone else wants new signings but I dont think we need much other than one more creative player at LM (starter) and young ST (comes off the bench). I am looking forward to the season and have high hopes for redemption for all parties involved (players and front office) I hope I am right. If after game 3 we look like a bottom half of the league team….pitchforks it is!!!

Ourtoon 334
IF I stayed away from St James Park ,because of the Regime at the club, I would never have stepped foot inside the ground in my life .
Get A GRIP we are in the premiership .
One word Blackburn

I am a worried at the fact that Pards is saying we need signings but we may not get anyone in. The man is deluding himself. The man has no courage at all. Wingers and strikers needed or prepare for a slog at the bottom. Pathetic fool!

Tom 68, you are completely wrong mate .
I take my hat off to you for supporting Newcastle.
Myself you could be black ,white red yellow from Shropshire to Stanley, Newcastle to New York.
More than welcome to enjoy this crazy club.

To all those who want more signings, then more signings and want Mikey out, as if that is the answer. Apart from the obvious six or seven clubs, whose squad would you swap ours for? As for the top six or seven clubs, can we compete with their wealth?

It’s not all about the winning and losing. The bottom line is that it’s about pride in your region. It’s about local pride in your team, in our case the black and whites. It’s demonstrated by turning out week in week out in droves even in the darkest days. It’s something you can’t explain unless you have an allegiance and pride in your local area. That’s why I will question the background of anyone leading a call for a boycott as to who their local team is and how much allegiance they show it.

These boycotters want to antagonise Ashley and then expect him to sell the club to someone they approve of. What love or even affinity to the club to rich outsiders have anyway? If the boycotters could rally behind a local billionaire or billionaire consortium who would offer to write off £20M of their own money every season that would be different. If Ruddy himself took ownership tomorrow, would he saddle the club with debt for the chance of a few good years? Would he run it in the black or the red?

Half our squad are championship player’s at best. There’s far too many people who over rate them and expect to much., we’ll struggle all season expecially with Pardew as manager. Good player’s that come in seem to deteriorate, whether that’s down to training or Pards or a unhappy camp I’m not sure?
I can’t speak for other fans but im sick of watching rubbish while MA takes the p..s, I will always support the club but there’s no more of my hard earned money going into his pocket until I see some ambition.

Wake up or get a grip yourself, we will not be in the premier league for long if we stick to the current ideals of this regime, Blackburn good example…we’ve already been relegated through Ashley’s incompetence and managed to get promoted thanks to Chris Hughton. Blackburn is the perfect example of owners not having a clue about football or how to run a football club, sounds familiar…..well we have someone who does the same thing. Penny pinching at every opportunity, Blackburn sacked Sam Allerdyce if I’m not mistaken and Steve Kean became there manager, they got relegated. I believe we did the same thing when we sacked the same manager (Glad he was sacked though because it was awful to watch). Difference was that Hughton got us promoted and Carr advised on some sound players to keep us up the following season, something Blackburn didn’t have. Out goes Hughton and in walks Pards. The similarities are there for everyone to see we just haven’t learned from previous mistakes, we are more similar to the Blackburn’s plight than you think (Majority of fans have had enough of this regime) look what took place at both clubs you will see that your example of Blackburn only backs up my argument. Spurs, Swansea, Norwich, West Ham, Fulham previously and now, these clubs actually have ambition….Our only ambition is to stay in the league.

On the whole boycott thing……personally i’ll never boycott going to matches, which is probably easy for me to say considering ive never been to one. Quite frankly no matter how bad the team is, or how terrible the owner is, given the opportunity i would attend a match. In fact im lucky enough to be doing so in january and nothing that happens at the club is going to change my mind. I understand the people who think boycotting is a good idea and im not trying to say it isnt but heres a story. If you follow american baseball, you’ll know the story of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A proud franchise with numerous titles, who have not had a winning season since 1992! Thats 20 years now. They used to be a proud organization (still are) but they dont get the respect anymore that they deserve. Now alot of this is blamed on the owner who refuses to spend a lot of money (see where im going with this). During the early parts of the 21st century attendance dipped massively becuase many fans, myself included wanted the owner out. Much to our disappointment though, this never happened because we realized that regardless of whether fans show up or not, the owner is still going to make money (merchandise, tv revenues etc). I stayed away for years but eventually found myself back at the stadium because quite frankly I love the team and couldnt stay away. I’ve seen my far share of good and bad moments and this year it appears the pirates are going to finally finish with a winning record and even make the playoffs due to some young talent (still no money being spent). I’m not saying that boycotting matches will or wont make an impact, and im not saying im right or wrong, im just offering a story from a similar situation. In the case of the Pittsburgh Pirates, it didnt make a difference. I stuck it out and they appear to be on the rise. Im hoping the same for the toon and i will be cheering my heart out at st james park in january regardless of whether ashely, pardew etc are there or not.

See the scum are giving a medical to Panathinaikos teenage winger Charis Mavrias . That’s a whole new team for them and we still await our first permanent signing. Am not counting Remy as he can still return to QPR at the end of season. God it is a struggle being a toon fan. Just want that butterball of an owner to spend some wonga.

Blackley——
—-It’s not all about the winning and losing. The bottom line is that it’s about pride in your region. It’s about local pride in your team, in our case the black and whites. ——————–did you have pride in your team on monday?

At least we’re getting the reaction we wanted from the board after Monday considering all these great deals we are apparently linked to. If they can get 2 or 3 classy players in I’ll keep some faith in them

If we had won? I wasn’t expecting to win but was expecting to see more fight, better brand of football, a team with some sort of idea. Instead I saw a mirror image of last season, a manager who tried 3 different formations before the red card. Like I said, this is about more than 1 game, please read an earlier post about the mistakes that are constantly made by this regime (JOE KINNEAR) and countless other mistakes. To Ashley’s credit, 6 signings? He panicked because of relegation. He wouldn’t have been in that position if he’d invested last summer would he have? He realised he made a huge mistake and again this season he is doing the same thing. We need 1 creative player? In a team that is seriously lacking creativity you believe we only need 1!! Cabaye is going he’s probably one of the most creative in the team. Cabaye, benny and marv. we have no other creativity in the team!! We need 2 CF’s, a commanding centre half, 2 wingers and play benny in the hole or attacking mid and at least 1/2 creative midfielders.

Said it before, and will say it again. We are far too British. Everything about the club is stuck in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Training is poor (Players have said themselves) Tactically you can see we do virtually no work as a team unit. We literally have no style of play that is identifiable. Swansea, Southampton, West Ham, West Brom, Fulham, Villa all do. And I’m sure Di Canio will do the same for the Mackems. We do have some good players, who if coached properly, would do very well for this club.

toonkk — the trouble is, a lot of people on here believe if you stop going – it means you stop supporting the team.
I know what you mean , and a lot of other people know what you mean , however there are also a lot of people on here who have a strange way of looking at it.

Stuart – I have massive pride in the loyal fans who stood and cheered on their team in such dire circumstances, but not in the wealthy foreigners wearing the shirt. That’s what it’s about: giving your support and not boycotting. How embarrassing to the club to boycott when you don’t have a clue who will be the next owner and are beholding to Mikey to deliver that?

Personally every thing I’ve seen of Vuckic shows he could be a first teamer. Don’t see the point of loaning him out. We only have two players that can link the midfield to the attack (Him and Marveaux). One is being loaned out and the other will hardly get a game.

Blackley…I don’t think you’ve read my input to this discussion. I am with you 100% on the point of not just kicking up for the sake of change. I have always been against protests etc as I feel that they take the wrong angle and all that will do is make things worse for all involved.

However, i do feel that the bad feel factor is growing daily and something must be done…but it must be well thought out, planned and then implemented to have any chance of work.

I asked earlier what are the demands of the fans? If it’s for Ashley to personally bankroll the investment then I think they’re wasting their time. Firstly, it’s simply unlikely and secondly, as you say, who are we to tell someone how to spend their money.

The clubs money on the other hand is another issue.

I know some work has and is going on with regards to communication with the club, but it’s not currently enough.

I am not proposing for a second we have 1,000’s of Geordies just ranting and raving, as that will just play in to the old delusional fans mantra, but I am not happy to just accept that nothing can be done.

Knowledge is power and power is with the people, but it must be structured properly. It would of course help if the fans could agree first…

As for Ruddy and his local team, are you saying that as he doesn’t live in the area and hasn’t had the ritual of attending games constantly that he doesn’t understand what he’s asking people to give up?

Personally I think you’re jumping to conclusions as to how much thought Ruddy and others would have put in to this. It isn’t easy, no one is claiming it to be, I think all the posters who are calling for action are well aware of what they’re asking and it’s not meant to be disrespectful, but a way forward.

fear of the unknown, don’t know who might take over etc, can you honestly put your hand on your heart and tell me what Ashley is planning or will do with our club next? Could you see the return of JFK, has he made any decisions that you think are the right decisions to make?

He will sell all players at the club if the right amount comes in, is that the way to run a club? is that ambition for you?

Blackley…I am not a local, I guess you figured that out I too admire the fans who turn up and sign and carry on even when times are tough…great support, that is not in question for me.

However, if we are going to talk pride in our team, I don’t see too much of it anymore…just an ever growing apathy. That is what worries me most. I can accept that it looks unlikely that a Geordie is going to step in and buy the club (and nor is there anything to suggest they’d do a better job), but something that we all love so much and many fans that have given their time and money to the club for years and years are no longer doing so…and this is a growing trend…clearly something is up and needs to be done?

Maybe this blog isn’t actually a good indicator on the general feeling around Newcastle though?

Got to say Ashley isn’t the worst owner in the English game, at least we know what we get off him and last year when we genuinely were struggling he brought in 5 players in jan.

Might be too late but he will so enough to keep us premier league I think. It might not be what we want, we all want more but prem league is still something to be proud of as well.

Low fell

No issue at all with people who want to go to games. Maybe need to do less drastic issues, more to get media attention like turning you back for a minute, Ashley out banners/chants or maybe something like after and before game protests so we don’t have a negative impacting the players during a match.

As a fan who attends a lot of games you view on what to do would be ideal.

low fell mag.
you are talking a lot of sense. I was also in the Gallowgate end in the 1970’s come rain or shine. Standing freeZing cold. And if you went away to Leeds, Man Utd etc you had to be expected to get attacked haha.
Now we have a lovely stadium and comfortable viewing which is great.

What I dont understand is why people would want to stay away?

What exactly are they doing that is wrong?

If the turnover is £100million per year and the running of the club for example is £90million then they have £10million spare. If they buy a player for say £7m you can also expect his wages to be around £3m per year. Therefore the following 5 years the running costs are £93m if nobody leaves.

If they sell Cabaye today for £20m they save his £3m per year wages. They then buy 3 players for £7m each. The wage bill still goes up by £6m per year for the next 3 years and £9m for the 2 years after that.

If you factor all these things in what exactly is Ashley supposed to do?

Are people saying he should use his own personal money to pay players wages and buy players? If so what must his family and children think of that. That is their inheritance. Why should their father throw it away on a football team?

So the upshot is that I go to the match for entertainment and I have 4 season tickets. I’ve never gone there expecting us to win trophies. It is my cities football team so that’s who I will support.

As far as some kid from Ireland coming on here and telling real Geordies to stay away from the match, well, well, ……. I just find it mad.
The thought of somebody from another country trying to influence the enjoyment of the likes of me or my hundreds of mates who Ive gone to the matches with over the years, it’s just utter madness.

Get a grip. He is running the club within financial constraints. He is wheeling and dealing in order that we can afford to get decent players.

IMO we have the best squad outside the usual top6 and although you can also throw Everton in there, once they see a few players in the next week they should drop behind us. That being said, we will 100% be buying players within the next few days and I expect us to finish 7th or very close to that.

Every player we’ve bought, this blog has been thrilled with.

The teams that are spending that arnt super rich cannot maintain that so over the seasons to come they will drop away. We are doing it with a long term plan.

If you had 1billion in overall wealth but most was tied up in shares and business and you had say 500 million for yourself, would you spend maybe 20% of that on your football team knowing it won’t get you anywhere near the top3 or even top5?
Because you would have to keep on throwing money in and sooner or later you would not have anything left. Sorry kids I gave my money to a team to make people happy, the people that hate me.

This I agree does not take into account the fact that Pardew is certainly disliked on here. haha. But the players, well everybody seems quite happy with them when we buy them. I doubt its all Pardews fault but it certainly isn’t Ashleys. He has not made 1 penny from owning NUFC.

And finally, everybody Ive heard who have spoken to Ashley has said he is determined to do well for the club.

@nut meg: He is still alive and I know a lot of Toon fans who absolutely refuse to talk about Malcom Dix (usually people replace the “x” in his surname with a “ck”). My dad, for example, spits every time his name is mentioned.

I actually don’t know what the story is with a lot of the anger directed towards him because everybody agrees he did a brilliant job in ousting Westwood and Co.

I don’t think boycotting is necessarily the answer, more a last resort. Other methods to show our displeasure are more welcomed.

I just think we should do more. I dot expect us to compete with the likes of city and Chelsea in the transfer window, that’s fine they have a very rich owner who have billions to spare, different to our owner who is a billionaire but no lose 100s of millions to use every year like those.

I just feel we should be competing more in terms of signings with the norwichs, Swansea, evertons etc. not bothered how much we spend as long as we get some good exciting players in. I understand we have some but be nice to have a few more this year as one loan signing is pathetic really considering how much Ashley gets of us fans in tixkets and TV money which we all pay for.

I’m not asking for crazy money on big names but I just want a few lads signed up. As well as looking to work on the academy which he promised, very little seems to be done on that with only a couple lads brought in and the coaching not producing many players.

Why has it taken the cabaye deal to spark us into life? Blatantly obvious Ashley had no intentions of spending the 60 million tv money. … its taking the sale of our best player to kick joe the joke into action. …. absolute shambles this club now.

secret sausage @ 373 —– so the whole of nufc s history is in tatters, the whole of the nufc fan base all over the world – the club must suffer, all because of his kids inheritence?? rubbish – pure rubbish.

Tell me what was entertaining about last season? Or what was so entertaining about being relegated? or the appointment of Kinnear (TWICE)?

Support Ashley all you like but it is HIS lack of ambition and his lack of understanding on how a football club has to be run that is close to ruining this club………………….but as long as the books are looking good why should we care

Yes I will look to do something. All ideas and opinions welcome. Need support, if nobody wants to do it then ill respect what most think.

Secret sausage

It’s not just signings. It’s plastering his tacky adverts everywhere when paying nothing for them, it’s renaming the stadium then replacing our respectable sponsor with wonga for what appears to be a lower amount going off all quoted stories in papers despite what llambias says, it’s hiring poor choices in staff, making us suffer relegation, allowing clubs to overtake us and leave us out of sight, there’s more too.

Treating respected club figures/legends with contempt…shearer and keegan. Constantly appointing poor choices to run serious parts of the club…wise, kinnear, llambias and showing the door to any player/manager that dares to speak out.

Look at spurs..good managers like redknapp and now AVB, quickly rectified poor appointments of jol and Ramos when things went wrong. Lost players but always used the money received to improve the team at the time, not eak it out over 2/3 years.

It’s not just big signings I ask for, it’s the club to be ran with the goal of winning and challenging for things, not just as a massive advert for his company.

And as for spending his kids inheritance…that money would be no where near if he hasn’t used Newcastle to promote his company world wide ad gain free advertising to hundreds of millions of TV viewers.

He’s been basicly the best player in slovenian primary division in last two years. He recently received an reward for best macedonian player who plays in foreing league (he beat players like goran pandev).

He’s a player of inspiration. He can score goals and make an extremely good last pass.

He’s been basicly the best player in slovenian primary division in last two years.
He recently received an reward for best macedonian player who plays in foreign league
(he beat players like goran pandev).

He’s a player of inspiration. He can score goals and make an extremely good last pass and has nice dribble.
In his last year or two with Maribor, he improved his tactical aspects of the game a lot,
he used to be a player who played with reservation in defence, but not anymore..
he gives it all defensively and offensively – although don’t expect a workhorse.
Also an awesome left foot and good set pieces.

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United, when their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Fantasy League

Mark Harding has again set up the Fantasy League for our readers for this season.

The new code is 3641-1656 and people can set up the league here:

http://fantasy.premierleague.com

====================

Health Update - 4 Feb, 2015

I had another battery of medical tests early last week, and the results show my PSA count as undetectable, which means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of cancer in the body.

I'm very pleased about that!

Ed Harrison

=========================

What Is A Football Club?

“What is a club in any case?"

“Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes."

“It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city."

“It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.”